Exciting new models, wild concept cars and groundbreaking new technologies all displayed under the searing heat generated by thousands upon thousand of spotlights… yes, it’s Frankfurt Motor Show time again.

This biennial motoring extravaganza is upon us once more and the Renault-Nissan Alliance has plenty of news to share.

At Nissan the all-new X-Trail is taking centre stage. Combining the company’s 4x4 expertise and its class-leading crossover know-how, the new X-Trail is ‘the ultimate, all-weather, highly capable, modern family vehicle.’

The automotive group’s Mountain View facility will focus on vehicle IT, advanced engineering research, and technology recruitment.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – The Renault-Nissan Alliance will open a research office later this month in the heart of Silicon Valley.

Directly across from the Google campus and minutes from leading hardware and software companies, the offices in Mountain View will allow one of the world’s largest automotive groups to capitalize on the region’s world-class engineering talent and stay ahead of trends that are reshaping the way people interact with their cars.

The office will build staff organically to focus on specific projects and business developments as they emerge. Small, highly efficient teams will initially work on vehicle IT development, advanced engineering research and technology recruitment.

Great news! The Alliance has two cars, the Nissan Leaf and Dacia Duster, on the shortlist for the 2011 European Car of the Year award.

The shortlist of seven cars has been narrowed down from an initial field of 41 cars and the winner will be announced on November 29.

Here in Seoul Headquarters, at our Technical Centre in Giheung  and at our factory in Busan we are celebrating 10 years of Renault’s relaunch of Samsung Motors under Renault Samsung Motors,  and if one day there is such a thing as an Alliance company, then RSM epitomizes it!

The Alliance factory in Chennai, India, which is gearing up to start exporting the Nissan Micra to Europe later this month, has just achieved three significant milestones in a remarkably short time frame.

We have yet to launch them in the showrooms but our electric cars are already winning awards.

The Alliance EVs are the editor’s choice in this year’s Green Awards run by What Car?, the leading UK consumer motoring magazine.

The Editor’s Award is made by magazine chief Steve Fowler who said: “The electric car has come of age – and that’s down to the Renault-Nissan Alliance. While other manufacturers are still making plans and running trials, Renault and Nissan have beaten them to the punch with proper electric cars you’ll actually be able to buy and run by this time next year. You’ll want one, too."

Fowler added that cars such as the Nissan Leaf and Renault Fluence will change people’s perceptions of electric motoring for good.

Last week, the Alliance confirmed the next step in its partnership with Bajaj Auto by signing an MOU to build an affordable four-wheel vehicle for India and other emerging markets.  Although this was an expected milestone in a single program, it also represents a larger more significant strategic direction for the Alliance: mobility for all.

In November 2009, the Renault-Nissan Alliance and Bajaj Auto Ltd. announced their intention to partner on the development of an innovative new four-wheel product for the Indian and other emerging markets.

Today the project took another step forward with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the two partners. The signing of the MOU follows discussions between both partners to define the product, manufacturing plan and distribution agreements.

As stated when the project was confirmed in November, the design, engineering, manufacturing and supply-base expertise to create this all-new product will be executed by Bajaj with the support of the Alliance. The marketing and distribution will be led by the Alliance, with the support of Bajaj. There has been no change to this structure originally agreed between both partners.

Some 40 analysts and investors recently spent a full day in Japan getting a deep dive into the Alliance’s EV strategy.

It was their first opportunity to drive Nissan LEAF, visit the AESC battery production plant and discuss with senior Alliance management our EV business model.

Four main topics were the focal point for day. In summary:

Spent the weekend driving the new Infiniti FX30d – the first application of an Alliance co-developed diesel engine for the Infiniti line-up in Europe.